Walking times are preferentially taking from the printed guide of Bätzing. When inserting or correcting times, please indicate the source or some other base for comparison. Walking times from the Via Alpina homepage are unrealistically short.

The marked trail of the GTA starts in Viozene di Ormea (the hamlet Viozene, 15 km upstream of the municipality seat of Ormea). However, it might be a good idea to start the hike in Ormea (736 m) or even another 11 km downstream in Garessio (621 m) for a number of good reasons:

Garessio and Ormea can be reached by train

Alternatively, from the Mediterranean, Ormea or Garessio can be reached in 2 or 3 days (see Southern_extensions).

For acclimatisation, it may be helpful to start with one or two subalpine legs

The cultivated landscape in these lower altitudes is beautiful and interesting.

In Viozene (Ormea municipality, 1245 m), the official trail of the GTA starts. However, according to IGC map 8, the trail leaves the valley road for good only at le Pianche 2 km west of Viozene. It climbs to Casali where it meets the Via Alpina. Around a ridge (Colla di Carnino 1597 m) the united trails reach

One could also leave out Rif Garelli, crossing from Rif Barbera to Colle della Boaria on the leg Garelli-Limonetto, but why would one want to shorten the trail? It would be a pity not to make the detour via the Upper Pesio Valley.

Near the ridge, there are two military roads, one due to Napoleon, the other to Mussolini. The Tende area only became French in 1947; this explains why the Mussolini road crosses through what is now French territory.

Unfortunately, the descent from the Colle di Tenda to Limonetto goes through a ski ressort.

Variants:

For hikers who do not need accomodation: Continue on the ridge beyond Colle di Tenda up to Fort de Jaure, join the read trail of Via Alpina backwards towards Limonetto, then somehow find an abbreviation towards Passo di Ciotto Mien.

For hikers who do not need accomodation: Continue on the ridge beyond Colle di Tenda up to Fort de Jaure, join the red trail of Via Alpina into France, then remount towards Colle del Sabione, Passo della Mena to Laghi d. Alberghi (excellent bivac place).

As before to Fort de Jaure, then follow the red trail of Via Alpina for several days into France, visit the petroglyphes in Vallées des Merveilles, to rejoin the GTA a few legs ahead at Rifugio Ellena-Soria.

From Terme di Validieri (1370 m) to Refugio Questa (2388 m). Direct ascension 3h according to homepage of the hut; more comfortably passing by Lago di Vascura in 4h (but in the next leg we pass anyway by that lake). Map: IGC 8.

For these two legs there are two variants. The preferable one stays on the Italian side and uses the Rifugio Malinvern. If that hut is not open, an alternate trail crosses into the French ski ressort Isola 2000; the only reason to do so is to use the accomodation in Refuge La Grange.

The Variant: Percorso delle Alte Valli branches in Bagni di Vinadio from the main track of the GTA. Both tracks join again in Chiesa di Bellino in Varaita valley. Note: in the old Bätzing guides, the Alte Valli variant is designated as the main track (legs 39-44), and today's main trackl is described as a variant (38a-c,69,71).